2000 pts Sisters - HELP!

[Garradh]

I cannot decide what to take for a 2000 pt Sisters list I'd like to build! The problem is I'm in love with uncompetitive units . . . Karamazov, Arco-Flagellants and the Jesus-Bots.

What would YOU include in a list that had at least one of each of the three above units . . . or which would you dump completely if you could get rid of them? Standard opponents are IG, SMs, and Tyranids.

[Aegis]

As much as I love the Inquisition, drop the Throne. It is too pricey for what it does, and does not contribute any faith. You would be much better out using the HQ slot for a jump cannoness with eviscerator.

As for the PE's and Arco's, if you insist on using them, take them in numbers, and screen them as best you can. PE's, being in squadrons and open topped with AV 10 is asking them to be shot to death before they get anywhere important.

[mathhammer]

I like Arco-Flagellants it's getting them across the board is the issue, shield them with rhinos.

5xISTs + 2 melts + rhino never hurt.
Immolator spam is always nice.

The throne, just drop it.

Penitent Engine is the same as the arco-flagellents, shield them with cheap rhino bodies for the 4+ save until you can engage them.

And don't forget an immolator.

[Melissia]

P.Engines are actually AV11 front and side armor, not AV10. Still, yeah, AV11 open topped makes it very easy to klil them.

Also, ISTs suck as the core of your army (IE, troops choices).

[Frowbakk]

When you take Karamozov, remember he gets more buffs from his built-in Henchmen than are shown on his profile. Put him in cover (he's not a Vehicle, so he won't need to be 50% obscured) and snipe tanks with your Triple-Melta

Since you need a Priest to unlock the Arcos, give him a Plasmagun and stick him with =I=ST's with a Plasmagun and a Flamer in a Chimera (or Rhino if you'd rather put 35 points elsewhere). That should stop him from dragging them all headlong towards the enemy, and you have a shooty bunker which can sit and put 3 S6, 3 S5 and 2 S7 shots out at 24". Keep it in your backfield for fire support and countercharge, but keep 'em in the vehicle at all times.

Since you've taken an Inquisitor, let him unlock an Assassin for you. A Culexus might be a good choice to run alongside the Arcos, or a Callidus to disrupt your enemy plans.

The last Elite and whatever Fast Attack squads you can afford should be minimum sized Celestian or Dominion Squads with 2 Meltas riding in Heavy Flamer Immolators. These will run you 153 points each and are your answer to enemy armor as you drive 12" and pop smoke the first turn, then drive 6" and double-Melta to your heart's content.

Either run the Penitent Engines behind the Immolators or keep them in Reserve for a nasty surprise to Drop Poddders and Deep Strikers (Monoliths excluded.... )

Take two =I=ST squads with two Meltas and have them ride in Heavy Support Immolators with the rest.

Refuse the flank, STAY IN YOUR VEHICLES, and good luck.

[Garradh]

I see a couple people saying ISTs. Let me clarify that the goal is to play an SoB army. Are you recommending ISTs for simple 5-man, 2 melta Rhino squads? SoB seems to be 100% meta with a heavy flamer and a melta running around in Rhinos and I know the 5-man IST squads are just tweaking that a bit more in the favor of a melta-spammy meltaspam list anyway . . . but I don't want to lose the SoB flavor.

I'll drop Karamozov, probably wouldn't be able to find the model anyway. Should I field an Inquisitor Lord or an Inquisitor Lite instead?

Heavy Support . . . 2 Exorcists and a full group of Penitent Engines? That would leave me with (most likely) only one Immolator for the Canoness/Celestians.

Thanks for the great advice, keep it coming!

A little background - I've played IG, Chaos, and BAs for a long time and recently moved in with a guy who is in love with playing a SoB army for its theme. I want to build an army list for him that is competitive but also highly flavorful, thus why we're really into Arco-Flagellants and Penitent Engines.

[Frowbakk]

I see a couple people saying ISTs. Let me clarify that the goal is to play an SoB army. Are you recommending ISTs for simple 5-man, 2 melta Rhino squads? SoB seems to be 100% meta with a heavy flamer and a melta running around in Rhinos and I know the 5-man IST squads are just tweaking that a bit more in the favor of a melta-spammy meltaspam list anyway . . . but I don't want to lose the SoB flavor.

I'll drop Karamozov, probably wouldn't be able to find the model anyway. Should I field an Inquisitor Lord or an Inquisitor Lite instead?

Heavy Support . . . 2 Exorcists and a full group of Penitent Engines? That would leave me with (most likely) only one Immolator for the Canoness/Celestians.

Thanks for the great advice, keep it coming!

A little background - I've played IG, Chaos, and BAs for a long time and recently moved in with a guy who is in love with playing a SoB army for its theme. I want to build an army list for him that is competitive but also highly flavorful, thus why we're really into Arco-Flagellants and Penitent Engines.

A 5 man =I=ST's with 2 Meltas in Heavy Support Immolators with Smoke (and the same price as an Exorcist with Smoke for the combo) or a squad of 10 Sisters with Heavy Flamer/Melta and VSS with Book of St Lucius in a Rhino whith Extra Armor & Smoke (the 209 point special) are your most efficient picks for your Troops choices. It's been my experience that it takes three full units of Rhino Sisters shooting with Divine Guidance to reliably take out a Marine Tactical Squad, so I suggest taking three units of Rhino Sisters for that reason.

=I=ST's are the go-to for Immolator Spam armies, but I have had a better track record with the units of 3 Rhino Sisters.

If you can get away from taking an Inquisitor, you should. They can end up being a big points sink for not much payoff. Instead for your HQ consider a Palatine (or Canoness if you have 10 points to spare at the end) with 5 Celestian Bodyguards with 2 Meltas riding in an Immolator with Smoke for a bit less than 200 points.

I would still take the unit of 5 =I=ST's with 2 Plasmaguns for the Priest with Plasmagun to pal around with, and even though the WH Chimera costs 30 points more than the IG version, have them ride in that for the protection, long(ish) range firebase parked on your home objective. The Plasmagun kind of 'short circuits' the Priests tendency to move towards the enemy since you can keep him stationary in order to get off a single shot at 24".

With the Immolators and Rhinos forming a pretty good pocket of moving terrain, you have a place for the Arcos and PenEngines to advance. However, even the 4+ cover provided by the vehicles in front won't buff the surviability of the Penitent Engines that much.

You'll advance with half of your vehicles popping smoke the first turn and the rest hiding bhind the smoked vehicles and out of range to do anything (aside from the "homeboy" =I=ST's in their Chimera), second turn you'll maneuver the other vehicles which can pop smoke to the front and get off a few Immolator Flamer shots, or even Meltas from the passengers if you moved 6" or less. Third turn is where you hit the enemy as hard as you can, piling on to just two or maybe three units in order to completely destroy them. If your PenEngines made it this far, here's where they'll shine.

[Melissia]

Immolator spam armies are laughable, kinda like ISTs. Because immolators suck. They are nothing more than overpriced Razorbacks, and always have been. Immolator "spam" is very inefficient. Yes, they can kill things, and they are nowhere near as bad as repentia, but when you're paying as much as a predator for what amounts to a rhino with a multimelta, you're never going to be as good as a Marine army doing razorback spam. And their razorbacks are cheaper and better equipped than your expensive razorback wannabes.

[Garradh]

Aha! I can see an IST squad parked in a Chimera for the priest to hang out with . . . was kinda unsure what to do with him otherwise and yes that does add some much-needed ranged shooting.

Seraphim . . . the only envelopment unit in the list. How many and how equipped? Infernos and eviscerator? 1 squad of 5, 2 squads for faith points?

[Melissia]

I'd reccomend seven or eight per squad, with inferno pistols and a BP+PW. A squad of five just doesn't have the survivability for the expense.